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Young Gun: 1939
... for Hawaiian style playing, with the raised nut. Made in Chicago by the Harmony Co., distributed by the Bronson Co., to the best of my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/13/2013 - 8:25pm -

January 1939. "Sunflower Plantation. Son of tenant farmer in corner of living room. Pace, Mississippi." Note Sonny's suction-cup ammo. Large-format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Butcher PaperTterrace we always licked the suction cups before shooting the darts usually at the tv or a window. Glass and foreheads seemed to be the only things that they would stick to. Suction cup?We don't need no stinking suction cup. The first thing my brother and I would do is pull the cup off and sharpen the end in a pencil sharpener. our main targets were cardboard boxes. I'll leave it at that. Cool guitar!Melody King, set up for Hawaiian style playing, with the raised nut. Made in Chicago by the Harmony Co., distributed by the Bronson Co., to the best of my understanding. I collect and restore old Harmony guitars. Streamline!Can anybody identify the toy in the box? Is it a travel trailer, or maybe a bus? And I like the ships wheel motif around the sound hole in the guitar. No refrigerator hereToo bad because that's the only thing those darts stuck to. My uncle pronounced me "the laziest kid I have ever seen in my whole life" because I had tied thread to my darts so I wouldn't have to get up and go retrieve them. I had one.Those suction darts would never stick to anything. [Surely I can't be the only one who spit on the cup and stuck it to my forehead. And got a nice round blue bruise for my trouble. - tterrace] WallPAPERI just love that "Real McCoy" wall PAPER - likely with no insulation and Tar Paper on the outside. Pity the kid did not have crayons to draw on it. PowerlessFrom what I can see, there's probably no electricity in the house. The huge "A" battery , and the "B" battery which may be behind it on the chair, probably powered a radio among other things. The AM receiver on the table looks like it was gutted but they may have had another one. It also appears that Our Gang's "Alfalfa" was a relative. Farm radioThe antenna and ground leads for the radio are visible just to the right of the table; the antenna lead disappears through a hole in the window frame. It's likely the radio is a Silvertone, mail-ordered from Sears and Roebuck, just like the batteries powering it. Prior to the Electrification Act of 1936 these "farm sets" were popular in rural areas; since it took several years for the "high line" to reach many farms they were still offered in the mail order catalogs in 1940. Streamlined CampingThe toy in the shoe box is a stamped steel toy camping trailer from the All Metal Products Co. in Wyandotte, Mi. It had nickel trim and real rubber wheels. Hopefully the kid still had the really cool LaSalle sedan that pulled the camper! Boys and their toysLike this young lad, I also had a suction cup gun that I used to shot at anything and everything. And like this lad probably did, I found out why there was a belt hanging on the wall within easy reach of mom and dad. Poetry FansI like how the portrait of Emily Dickinson has pride of place for this family. Farm RadioI believe OldeRadio is correct. The radio appears to be a 1937 Silvertone 4661, seen here: http://radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=3427 Probably a nice set at that time. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Toy Story: 1949
... Projector Billboard, December 31, 1949. CHICAGO, Dec. 24. — Ray Marchbanks, regional chief for Capitol disks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2013 - 12:24pm -

October 1949. "Cowboy entertainer Gene Autry posing with children's clothing and toys which have his name and/or image on them." Kodachrome from photos by Frank Bauman and Stanley Kubrick for Look magazine. View full size. RoyRoy Rogers is always mentioned as the TV and movie cowboy with a plethora of marketing items for sale, but this photo proves that Gene was certainly no slouch. Kind of miss this wholesome children's entertainment. Simple stories with real morals included! Successful BrandingThe postwar prosperity + Baby Boom + TV seems to have been quite lucrative for him--and the "Repeating Cap Pistol" pictured recently brought an eBay seller $461 after spirited bidding. Sixty-four years laterThis picture of old familiar boy's toys and joys really takes me back to my youth when my little brother and our neighbor were both completely in awe of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers (who seemed to be featured at every weekend matinee in our small town). The neighbor was even named Gene and took his idol very seriously, owning just about all of the items pictured plus an entire bedroom suite of Autry furniture, bedspread, sheet, etc. Today, both the real Genes are gone. We all played with toy guns and none of us became murderers or even animal hunters, just pretend cowboys who kept our loved ones and property safe from all those "bad guys". Tried the cap guns ...but never wore the jeans. The second luckiest man in show businessGod bless Gene "Ornery". No actor, and not much of a singer, but a darn good businessman for a kid from Oklahoma! Flying A gas stations, KTLA TV, the Angels, and the Autry Museum of Western Art in LA, and I'm sure there was much more. (In my opinion, Ringo Starr still ranks #1 luckiest.) ViewmasterThat looks like a Viewmaster viewer at the upper right, behind a series of Viewmaster disks in their cardboard sleeves. [It's actually a "Hollywood Toy Television," which showed short film strips of still pictures. -tterrace] The historical star of this photo is...Eastman Kodachrome -- with due respect to Gene Autry. Sharp, rich colors combined with perfect skin tone. Trigger fingersI'm a big Gene Autry fan but I'm disappointed he had both fingers firmly on the triggers of those cap guns. That's no way to teach gun safety to impressionable youngsters. A quick eBay peekComics- $10-$45 Chaps- $150 Holster (w/o gun) $55 T-shirt (on left) $24.99 Spurs (w/o leather strap) $50 Scarf/bandanna-$10.50 Fan badge-$5.00 Cap gun (w/o grips) $10.00 Cap gun (w/grips) $80-$175 Watch- $30 or $175 White double holster (in red box)- $195 I found 6200 separate listings! A few highlights shown there but not in the image: A record player, many records, flashlights, alarm clock(NIB), dime novels, pennant, guitar, lunch boxes, LA Angels Autry autographed baseball, pen knife, Flying A horseshoe nail ring, and far too many more to list. Enough for a museum. Red "TV" viewerit seems to be styled after the Bakelite General Electric TV from the same year. TV collectors (ahem) refer to this model as "The Locomotive" because it resembles the streamlined locomotives of the time. Moppet Picture Projector Billboard, December 31, 1949. CHICAGO, Dec. 24. — Ray Marchbanks, regional chief for Capitol disks here, and Henry Saperstein, prexy of Hollywood Toy Television Corporation, new moppet picture projector, met last week to discuss the possibility of Cap taking over national distribution for the kid gimmick. Introduced to the market last June, the toy video set retailed at $9.95 for a red plastic case outfit that carried a four-by-three inch screen. By inserting foot-long strips of film, the child could see a six-minute show of animated cartoons. The cost of the original set included six such strips, which make a complete 30-minute movie. Saperstein has 17 story subjects, including Woody Woodpecker, Hopalong Cassidy and Gene Autry. These strips retailed for six for $1. More Picture for MORE DollarsAccording to my Inflation Calculator, that television would cost about $2,280 in 2012 dollars (the last year available). All that for what, two or three channels - and NO UHF stations unless you bought a separate converter. Hoppy, Gene and RoyThough I would watch Gene and Hoppy, Roy was the real deal, when I was a lad. I was Roy, my bike was Trigger. Our dog, a Cocker Spaniel had little interest in being Bullet. My cousin, who's real name is Dale would, of course, be Dale. I had RR cap pistols, but rarely had the nickle for a box of caps. No problem, "Pow Pow" sounds were almost as good. We must have killed a thousand bad guys. Ironically, one of my current "heroes" is, also, named Roy Rogers, the finest slide guitarist around today. His given name is RR, unlike the, late, Leonard Slye. BTW, if you visit Los Angeles, The Autry Museum is a must see Media Mogul1949 was also the year he sold 2.5 million copies of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and the year before he came out with "Here Comes Santa Claus." The man was clearly doing something right. (Kodachromes, LOOK, Stanley Kubrick)
A Second Helping: 1942
June 1942. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, we return to the Kassalo family kitchen for a another helping of " ... HoneyWheat Bread. - Dave] (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Kitchens etc., WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2017 - 12:26pm -

June 1942. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, we return to the Kassalo family kitchen for a another helping of "American as the Smiths and Joneses." Photo by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information. View full size. I'd recognize that jaw anywhere!On the wall, between FDR and the calendar: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, then Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Theater. The real Summer of '42I wonder if any of the chairs match up. Great little cast iron stove. Bread of LifeIs that a cellophane-wrapped loaf of bread on the table? I thought most breads were wrapped in paper or waxed paper through the forties. But maybe I'm wrong! ["California-Style" HoneyWheat Bread. - Dave] (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Kitchens etc., WW2)
Super Trouper: 1952
... March 1952. "Marlene Dietrich makes her stage debut in Chicago." Color transparency by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View ... and the French Légion d’honneur. (Kodachromes, Chicago, LOOK, Phillip Harrington, Portraits) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2017 - 5:18pm -

March 1952. "Marlene Dietrich makes her stage debut in Chicago." Color transparency by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. I vant to be aloneI would have loved to be alone with her. [Um, that was Greta Garbo. - Dave] Ooops!! My mistake. I stand corrected. Thank you. Perhaps I should go stand outside the barracks, by the corner light and wait for Marlene. State Lake Theatre One day only. March 6, 1952. And proudly displayingthe American Medal of Freedom and the French Légion d’honneur. (Kodachromes, Chicago, LOOK, Phillip Harrington, Portraits)
In for Overhaul: 1942
December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. In the Chicago & North Western locomotive repair shops." Photo by Jack Delano, ... the inside was always a mystery to me. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2014 - 10:17am -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. In the Chicago & North Western locomotive repair shops." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Overhaulin'How often did these locomotives have to be overhauled or rebuilt? I am thinking in terms of automobiles, which need an engine overhaul at 100,000 to 200,000 miles. (My mind is stuck on the 1960s cars.) But locomotives -- what determined their timeframe? Also I live near the Union Pacific rail yards in Roseville, California, and I can hear when a diesel needs repair. Talk about LOUD. Overhaul CyclesSteam locomotives required a lot of time in the shops. Inspections were made daily and small repairs and adjustments were made daily to keep the engines in proper tuneup. All of this could be done while keeping the engine hot. Every 31 days the fire was put out and the boiler was required to be drained, cleanout plugs removed and the interior of the boiler washed out with high pressure water jets. Certain appliance had to be removed, disassembled, cleaned, and reinstalled. Every 92 days additional inspections were required, and other work, primarily air components, were removed and rebuilt. There was also a one year cycle for certain other repairs. But the big one every 5 years, as shown in this photo, concerned major boiler work, and disassembly of the running gear. It could take an engine out of service for a couple weeks. The engine was lifted off its wheels, and every component that could be removed was disassembled, inspected, tested, and completely rebuilt as necessary. In the foreground we see a cylinder liner in left foreground, and the stack casting on the right. A portable machine was set up in front of the cylinders for re-boring the casting to receive new liners. Boilers had their superheaters removed and all flues taken out. Inspectors climbed inside and cleaned out accumulated scale, and carefully examined inside and out for hints of excessive corrosion or cracking. If necessary complete boilers could be removed from the running gear and frames, and major boiler repairs made. Very labor intensive and expensive, so the railroads were more than happy to switch to diesel electric locomotives when they became available. Thanks LarryDoyleGood info on locomotives! How they worked on the inside was always a mystery to me. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Back Issue: 1920
... negative. View full size. Stylish Is that the Chicago Manual of Style near the left end? I have a much more recent edition, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/24/2014 - 6:02pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Nation's Business." A look behind the scenes at the offices of that magazine. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. StylishIs that the Chicago Manual of Style near the left end? I have a much more recent edition, but it's nice to know it has a long heritage. Books were expensive even then!$6 in 1920 is equal to $71.36 today according to the CPI Inflation calculator. Typewriter DeskThe typewriter being on a folding platform to the right of the kneehole. "Making the Office Pay"That book's title sounds like a manifesto for a modern day tragedy waiting to happen. I hope nobody ever steals this guy's stapler. Debits by the window; credits by the file drawersIs that a double inkwell? It's very businesslike. Black ink for most stuff. Red ink used sparingly. Old Books, Modern TimesThe three books on the right are available for free at archive.org, just in case anyone's interested. The Very First VersionLooks like he's gazing at Windows 1.0! 95 year old babyThis kid would be at least 96 now, depending on how old the picture was at the time. His great-great-great-grandchildren could be looking at this now. Added to my reading listI would really like to peruse that copy of "The Price of Inefficiency" Picture in PictureI wish I could see more of the photo on the wall to the left. Miss Jonesget me the number of that wallpaper contractor. I spy...The taller building visible through the window looks very much like the Commercial National Bank Building on the NW corner of 14th & G NW. Desktop LibraryClick to enlarge. Mills BuildingIn the early 1920s, the editorial staff of Nation's Business, headed by Merle Thorpe, worked out of offices in the Mills Building at the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave. and 17th Street NW. The Mills Building would be replaced in the 1960s by a modern building that is also known as the Mills Building. Nation's Business presumably moved into the new headquarters building of its owner, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at 1615 H. St. NW, when it was completed in 1925. Publication foldedin 1999. Here is a link to back issues of Nation's Business 1912-1999. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, The Office)
Low Noon: 1952
November 1, 1952. "Chicago framed by Gothic stonework high in the Tribune Tower. This view of Chicago's downtown shows the low-lying smog which blanketed the area one recent ... looked dingy before it was renovated. (The Gallery, Chicago) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/28/2015 - 7:57am -

November 1, 1952. "Chicago framed by Gothic stonework high in the Tribune Tower. This view of Chicago's downtown shows the low-lying smog which blanketed the area one recent morning. In the foreground is the well-known Wrigley Building." Underwood & Underwood photo. View full size. Car(bon) washThey must be cleaning the coal dirt off the snow white Wrigley building with all that scaffold. Even the black marble Carbon and Carbide building looked dingy before it was renovated. (The Gallery, Chicago)
Driven to Drink: 1930
December 16, 1930. Chicago. " The Crusaders have new slogans. Miss Elizabeth Thompson was one of ... To Travel While the photo above did not appear in the Chicago Tribune, an article in the paper on Tuesday, December 16, 1930, Page 17 ... Phillips. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2019 - 2:31pm -

December 16, 1930. Chicago. " The Crusaders have new slogans. Miss Elizabeth Thompson was one of the first members of that national organization, formed to overthrow Prohibition, to put the new tire cover on her car." Underwood & Underwood photo. View full size. December 5The anniversary of the ratification of the 21st amendment should be a national holiday celebrating the triumph of liberty over those who seek to use the power of the state to impose their moral code/worldview on everybody else. Three Years To TravelWhile the photo above did not appear in the Chicago Tribune, an article in the paper on Tuesday, December 16, 1930, Page 17 stated the following. "Crusaders to Place Wet Pleas on Many Autos. The war cry of the Crusaders, 'Repeal the 18th Amendment,' will be carried along boulevards and highways as the result of a new plan adopted by the organization. Under the plan the legend will be emblazoned on the spare tire covers of automobiles. Below the printed pleas will be the equestrian figure of a crusader in armor. The plan was proposed by H. C. Glinn of the local division of the anti-prohibition association." There was also a similar photo, shown below, in the Decatur Evening Herald Wednesday, December 24, 1930, Page 14, with the caption "Patricia Edenton, who has tire cover bearing the the words 'Repeal the 18th Amendment' and a picture of a Crusader on car." It would be almost three years from the date of the photo above until ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On December 5, 1933 three states voted for the repeal of Prohibition: Pennsylvania at 12:50 p.m., Ohio at 2:45 p.m., and Utah at 3:32 p.m. to become the 34th, 35th, and 36th states to vote in favor of the amendment. The amendment was certified as having been passed seventeen minutes later, at 5:49 p.m., by Acting Secretary of State William Phillips. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, News Photo Archive)
Two of a Kind: 1941
July 1941. Chicago. "Man seated on corner of Jefferson Street and Vernon Park Place." 35mm ... Sleuthing Great detective work! (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2020 - 3:30pm -

July 1941. Chicago. "Man seated on corner of Jefferson Street and Vernon Park Place." 35mm acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fast forward 79 yearsMany parts of the hydrant look original. The forlorn vagabond moved on, long ago. Have mercy!Been waitin' on the bus all day! SleuthingGreat detective work! (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
Big Four: 1940
... New York Central's subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, popularly called "The Big Four." The Big Four ... was, indeed, located next to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis RR terminal at the intersection of Commercial Avenue and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2012 - 7:58am -

May 1940. "Cairo, Illinois -- Big Four Cafe." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Big FourThe cafe was probably named for the New York Central's subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, popularly called "The Big Four." The Big Four ran through Cairo and had a Cairo Division. EponymousAre those the Big Four sittin' on the bench out front? The Quartet of HungerWith relative valuation of that 25 cents one has the buying power of just about $4 now; a nice bargain for a breakfast, if you could find it. It's amazing how little really changes in the end--we see ourselves everywhere & everywhen. Just perfectAlmost TOO perfect; the electrical cable emerging from hands-in-the-lap gent number two. Shoe ShineI reckon one of those guys was waiting for his first shoe shine customer of the day so he could go in and get his 25c breakfast. It was probably 90 degrees in the cafe. Breakfast is on meObviously the big four are sitting right out there on the bench. Tell ya' what I'm gonna do fellas, I'm gonna treat you all to the most important meal of the day so you can have a good start. For just 8 bits, I can afford it and can even leave a big tip. Hoghead is going to beans. I suspect what we’re looking at here is a Big Four railroad bunkhouse and beanery. From reading a few things on the web about the Big Four in Cairo, I get the impression it was what we would call today an ‘away from home terminal,’ for guys working out of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The railroad provided bunks for the train crews while away from home, and had an obligation to provide a hot meal 24/7. The eateries became affectionately known as ‘beaneries,” and would serve meals to the public as well. Beaneries have long ago disappeared from the railroad landscape, but any self respecting rail still goes to beans, not lunch. Can anyone guess what a 'beanery queen' was? Had the wonderful opportunity to work the Springhill interlocking at Terre Haute, Indiana, controlling train movements over some of the old Big Four track there. Met dozens of really nice rail fans who made it a point to come and see the old lever plant at Springhill. Today the signals and switches are controlled with a computer keyboard, and the tower is part of a museum. Somehow that just doesn’t seem right. YumBacon, ham, eggs and coffee only 25 cents. I could go for that right about now. Beanery QueenWaitress? Chews gum and calls every guy "honey". Cocks hip while writing down order. Heart of gold. Railroad BeaneriesWe had a cafe at the railroad yard at Champaign, Ill., complete with the requisite Beanery Queens ! It's long gone, as are the old yard office where I was a telegrapher. Skip Not so long goneThe Big Four Cafe was, indeed, located next to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis RR terminal at the intersection of Commercial Avenue and 2nd Street in Cairo. The Tri-City Bus Company also had a stop there. The CCC&SL is long gone, and the tracks were pulled up decades ago, but the derelict hulk of the station and attached buildings were only recently demolished. If you google map the address (200 Commercial Avenue), the more recent satellite view will show that the buildings are gone; however, the slightly older Street View shows the buildings intact (if very much abandoned and derelict). (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
War Machinists: 1942
... Midwest machine tool company. Republic Drill and Tool, Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener, Office of War Information. View full size. ... (or twelve), another day. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2017 - 11:13pm -

August 1942. "Women in industry. Sharp eyes and agile fingers make these young women ideal machine operators. They're conditioning and reshaping milling cutters in a huge Midwest machine tool company. Republic Drill and Tool, Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener, Office of War Information. View full size. Hand SharpeningI'm sure these ladies are grinding "Back Relief" on the cutters as the geometry is not as important and much faster than a machine. I say this as there is no setup required for each cutter. In the old days (1970s), end-mills were still having their back relief geometry developed by hand grinding. Agile fingersFrom the bandages on her fingers it looks like they weren't quite agile enough. [Those look more like finger guards than bandages to me. -tterrace] Touching-up a milling cutter freehand!Milling machine cutters must have all their teeth shaped identically if they are to make a smooth, chatter-free cut. This is usually done by mounting the cutter in a tool and cutter grinder, which has jigs and fixtures to hold various milling cutters for precise grinding of each tooth. These women are touching-up cutters from a horizontal milling machine freehanded on an ordinary pedestal grinder! I would not have thought this was possible! It would require an incredibly steady hand and a very good eye to do this! Grinding out nicksI bet they are grinding out nicks or dings on the teeth, the cutter will then be put on a sharpening machine. The cutter will cut smaller after resharpening, but it cuts just as well. During the war a lot of cutters were saved this way. BurrsI think they might be just grinding off burrs left by a gear cutter. The lady is wearing what we called finger savers. It's dangerous to have that scarf like thing around her neck near a grinding wheel. Re-PurposingIf the chips and carbon spots can be removed, the face can be re-sharpened in the same diameter as before, if not a new outside diameter (O.D.)can be achieved. Most WWII tooling was made to be reused if possible, then re-purposed when necessary. Face cutting on surfaces did not always need a certain O.D., the cuts only needed to overlap (while being straight and parallel)for a smooth face. Much of the WWII arsenal was made by utilizing tooling most engineers thought to be used only briefly. A few dozen (hundred) extra parts were, in effect, a bonus, since the running changes were minimal. August, not so much...but I guess those lamps probably kept those fingers toasty warm in a war plant in the winter in Illinois. Factories had very little "climate control," especially year-round until the late 80s when some geniuses realized that micro-dimensions were affected by shop conditions when machined, and not just to keep employees comfortable. I do not miss a lot of my younger years in those places; the naivete of the young engineers I shall treasure - another story (or twelve), another day. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2)
Knows the Drill: 1942
... points have improved. Republic Drill and Tool Company, Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information. View full ... used ones, I'd guess. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2015 - 9:55am -

August 1942. "Women in industry. Tool production. A job which was formerly done by hand (and by men) is done in this large Midwest drill and tool plant by women at machines. These young workers are putting precision-ground points on drills which will be used in production of America's ships, tanks and guns. It takes at least four months to train these young women in the operation of these machines, but at the end of that period their work is speedy and efficient, and this company has found that both production and the quality of the drill points have improved. Republic Drill and Tool Company, Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information. View full size. Sellers drill grinderThe web offers up photos of the machine in use, called a Sellers 1G-1 or similar. In her lapA selection of drill bits. She's either finishing off the tips of newly manufactured ones or resharpening used ones, I'd guess. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2)
Indiana Janes: 1908
... America" for nothing. It was a good halfway point between Chicago & Cincinnati, and lots of other places. So it's not surprising to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:12pm -

August 1908. "Noon hour in an Indianapolis cotton mill. Witness, E.N. Clopper." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Satisfied?As another commenter mentioned, here's another Lewis Hine photo where the subjects are not glaring angrily at the photographer. Could it be that the workers were actually satisfied with their worksite? That doesn't fit in well with Hine's agenda that workers were abused by their employer. So, Hine could be balanced in the way he shows his subjects. BTW, it looks like one could get pretty dirty working in a cotton mill (in Indianapolis, of all places!). Surprising, but what do I know. Probably a FridayThey're Hoosiers. It's probably a Friday. Payday. Basketball game this evening. Life is good. IndianapolisIndianapolis didn't get the nickname "Crossroads of America" for nothing. It was a good halfway point between Chicago & Cincinnati, and lots of other places. So it's not surprising to me that cotton would be shipped here for working. Mill GirlsMy great-grandmother worked in a Virginia cotton mill as a teenager in the 1910s. In 1975 I interviewed her as part of my graduate thesis. One thing she kept repeating was what a "wonderful" job it was, and how "blessed" she was to be able to work there. When I asked about workplace conditions she said the only "workplace" the girls had before that was in the fields. "Crawling though [poop]." Maybe that's why they all look so happy. Indiana Janes: 1908Hine didn't create those awful working conditions to fit his "agenda," he took the pictures to point out the awful working conditions. Perhaps these people are smiling because it's what's expected when someone points a camera at you, especially as this might be the only photograph that would be taken of you. [ Conditions were not "awful." No one was making these girls work here. Lewis Hine took these pictures because that's what he was paid to do. His goal was ending child labor, not the employment of people these girls' age. - Dave] South Carolina cotton millsI worked in 2 cotton mills in Greenville, SC in the 1970's. I worked pretty much every job in the Draper and Sulzer weave rooms. This was past the era when the mills built mill villages with houses, schools,baseball fields, and gyms for the employees but the people I worked with were happy, hard working people who liked their jobs. The biggest problem was the lack of a good retirement plan in the mills but then the employees were expected to plan and be prepared for their own retirement. I look back on my experience as a good one overall. The mill employees were like an extended family and took care of each other. Who?I would love to know who these women and girls are. I have lived in Indianapolis my whole life, and have a lot of family history here. (The Gallery, Factories, Indianapolis, Lewis Hine)
Private Alley: 1942
April 1942. Chicago. "Negro businessmen and women. On his way to play at an afternoon show, ... photos taken by Jack Delano in April 1942. Red died in Chicago in 1981, aged 69. A Red Saunders Playlist Week Day Blues ... (1951) Hambone (1952) (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2018 - 1:11pm -

April 1942. Chicago. "Negro businessmen and women. On his way to play at an afternoon show, bandleader 'Red' Saunders stops to say goodbye to his wife." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Occupational ClassificationIt may seem odd to deem an artist a "businessman," but greats like Duke Ellington and Count Basie would probably have agreed that finance and management skills are fully as essential as musical taste and virtuosity in keeping a band fed, paid, and consistently engaged in entertaining an appreciative public. Red SaundersRed (seen earlier here) met his wife, Ella, when she was working as a chorus girl while they were playing the same show in California. They and their two children were the subject of a series of OWI photos taken by Jack Delano in April 1942. Red died in Chicago in 1981, aged 69. A Red Saunders Playlist Week Day Blues Mistreatin' Woman Blues (1951) Hey Bartender, Buy That Man A Drink (1951) Boot 'Em Up (1951) Sugar Bounce (1951) Hambone (1952) (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano)
Instant Message: 1942
November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. These pneumatic tubes in the Illinois Central Railroad ... and tie for the trip home. (Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2013 - 11:47am -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. These pneumatic tubes in the Illinois Central Railroad yardmaster's office connect him with the general office." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. No new thing under the sunWe used a pneumatic tube system on the Milwaukee Road until the late 70s, just as the caption says: connecting several yard offices with the central office. I have to wonder if Milwaukee officials were ‘inspired’ by the IC device. The system we used was really not up to the task, and I suspect it came from some department store that had quit using it for handling sales cash. The three tubes, about a mile each in length, were all exposed to Milwaukee’s freezing, moist, winter air. Need I say more? One night a new kid on the block weighed about 100 cars, and he asked the yardmaster what he was supposed to do with the scale tickets. The yardie, never having read “How to Win friends and Influence People,” barked at the kid to put the XXXXXXX things in the XXXXXXX tube to Muskego. So the guy did. Without a canister. For about two weeks, every now and then a scale ticket or two would come fluttering into the main office from the West End. Yes, they reweighed the whole cut of scalers. Vital piece of equipmentThe ubiquitous coffee can is an essential piece of the apparatus. AirpunkThe lesser-known cousin of steampunk. Scrap metalNever mind giving extra tires to Uncle Sam -- the quantity of iron in that tube machine looks like it would be nearly enough to build a Sherman tank from. I wonder when it got scrapped. Dress for successI am always amazed at how men and women during the war years always seemed to be well dressed at work, often despite their occupations. This man has dress shoes and well pressed, creased pants. My uncle, who worked for many years as a lithographer in NYC, would go to work in a suit and tie, change into work clothes in the printing company's locker room, do a day's work, then change back into his suit and tie for the trip home. (Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Tree House: 1923
... exhibit for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The tree was cut in the General Grant National Park – which is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2011 - 10:45am -

Washington, D.C., 1923. All it says here is "Dept. of Agriculture." Back when the place was run by the Keebler Elves. National Photo Company. View full size. Noble Redwood Tree HouseMore photos here: This was the General Noble Redwood Tree House – a 50-foot section of a 2,000 year-old giant sequoia tree. This idea was conceived as an impressive government exhibit for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The tree was cut in the General Grant National Park – which is now Kings Canyon National Park in California. A team of twenty cutters worked for seven days, fifty feet above the ground, to cut the 26-foot diameter tree. Workers then hollowed out the stump, and cut the tree into some 2-3 dozen sections, which would be reassembled on the site of the exposition – complete with an interior circular staircase! In 1894 the tree was moved again to the grounds of the Agriculture Building, on the Mall in Washington, DC. It was then that the structure was made waterproof with the addition of a peaked roof and four dormer windows, and covered with redwood shingles. The tree house remained on the mall until 1932, when it was placed in storage at the Agriculture's Experimental Farm in Arlington, Virginia. In 1940 the Farm was transferred to the Army for part of the Pentagon grounds, and the tree was likely burned at that time. Early LOTR StyleI think that's where Gandalf used to live. He eventually had to move out because of all the carpenter ants (his "Jedi tricks" had no deterrent effect upon them). Nowadays he's in a Tampa condo. Jefferson Drive at 12th StreetTo the right is the Department of Agriculture to the left is the Freer Gallery. Between them is 12th Street SW, a service road and tunnel under the Mall. I crossed the Mall, 100 feet from there yesterday morning. The tree house is gone but the two buildings are still there. Tree FarkFarked again! Original TIFF?I've searched high and low for the higher-res source file of this image on the library of congress site and elsewhere and I can't find it for the life of me. Could anyone point me in the right direction? [It's here.] (The Gallery, Curiosities, D.C., Farked, Natl Photo)
Proviso South: 1942
South Yards at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yards. December 1942. View full size. ... in the east, Boston + NYC. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:01pm -

South Yards at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yards. December 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. ExplosivesNote the big white X's on the doors of that row of boxcars in the distance. Explosives, subject to special handling. Somebody kept track of those cars at all times. In the foreground appears to be a program to rehab a batch of old passenger train insulated milk cars (note the express trucks, more visible in another shot apparently in the same session). That other shot also shows one car lettered as MILK. They don't appear to be iced, no hatches at the ends of the roof, but there may have been some other way to ice them, at least in hot weather. They ran in passenger trains to gather milk to the city. Milk cars were also used in passenger trains extensively in the east, Boston + NYC. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Night Moves: 1941
... April 1941. "Auto convoy trucks at service station near Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security ... even heavy bombers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Gas Stations, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2018 - 5:19pm -

April 1941. "Auto convoy trucks at service station near Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Plymouths and DodgesWe see here an assortment of 1941 Plymouths and Dodges. The two cars on the back end of the truck on the left are Plymouths, and the two sedans in the back, on the backs of trucks (one is a light-colored sedan, covered with a tarp) are Dodges. While trucks got larger, so did rail cars for auto transport. First, open cars that could carry as many as 15 cars, and later, the enclosed cars we see today, that deter vandalism and theft of parts during transport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorack Fin-ish ahead of their timeCars that can been seen well enough despite all the canvas look to be 1941 Dodge Custom Town Sedans. If you look closely at the rear of the first light-colored car from the left, you'll see a harbinger of Chrysler Corp. things to come: fins! '41 PlymouthsLooks like a load of '41 Plymouths. Whoever bought them would be probably holding onto them for a few years due to war production starting in '42. My wife's great uncle had a '42 Plymouth with no chrome trim. He still had it in his barn when he died about 5 years ago. Still had the last inspection tag on it from 1969. They Drive by Night ...1940 movie with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan. The railroads got smarterIt's true, the boxcars equipped for hauling autos were limited capacity, and it was easy to damage the merchandise. Things were so bad that by the end of the 1950s, the railroads had largely lost the new car trade. However, by the mid 1960's the railroads were getting that work back. Today, a single, long multi level auto carrier with vandal resistant covering can carry 12 to 20 new cars. The highway auto carrier you see is delivering new cars to the dealers or wholesale/distributors from a railroad facility. (That is, unless you live close to an assembly plant.) A solid train of auto racks can carry 800 or more new vehicles; that's a lot of trucks off the road. Look Out, Railroads!Looks fly-by-night, but it was the future. The railroads held most of this traffic at the time, but it was in specially-equipped boxcars that tended to hold just four autos. The truckers had the same capacity, but a faster transit time and the ability to deliver to the customer no matter where they were located. Eventually the trucks got bigger. New AutomobilesThese were probably some of the last civilian autos produced in 1941. Car plants were converting to wartime production of everything but cars: jeeps, trucks, tanks, and even heavy bombers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Philly P.O.: 1900
... fight Annenberg's goons, who were veterans of the violent Chicago Newspaper Circulation wars. In the event, the Roosevelt people indicted ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/21/2020 - 5:32pm -

"Philadelphia Post Office." Big-city hustle and bustle circa 1900. Plus: What the well-dressed horse is wearing this season. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. Many poles, one flagOne of the things I have noticed in the pictures from the early part of the 20th Century is the abundance of American flags. They seem to be everywhere. In this picture I spot three poles on the Post Office building but only one flag. Way down the street on the right appears to be another. Just sort of unusual, it seems, for an era that was so proudly nationalist. Wish it was still true. Postal PalaceAmazing what you can build with unlimited money.... what a magnificent government pile. Hope the streetcar doesn't run up the back of the draw wagon. Thank YouI came across your website through the Bowery Boys. I've been having fun for hours here! Thanks. 1915 viewPostcard view here from nearly the same angle: The Philadelphia RecordI think that is the Philadelphia Record building on the left. Moe Annenburg, father of Walter Annenberg, was a vicious opponent of FDR. He bought the Philadelphia Inquirer and did battle with the Record, which supported Roosevelt. Former Record newsmen from that era said they were issued guns to fight Annenberg's goons, who were veterans of the violent Chicago Newspaper Circulation wars. In the event, the Roosevelt people indicted Annenberg for tax evasion, just like they had Capone. He spent three years in jail and then died. His son, Walter, rebuilt the Inquirer and became the Ambassador to the Court of St. James's under Nixon. The Record folded in 1947. Street ScenesThe cozy plaid horse blanket is nice, but what I really like is the group hug happening in front of Ben Franklin's statue. Just curious...I'm sure this structure no longer exists, but what stands on its site today, at 9th and Chestnut? The present main post office is right across Broad Street at 30th from the beautifully restored railroad station, and catercorner to the site of the old Philadelphia Bulletin. View Larger Map ElectrifyingI'm always interested in the early street lamps, the one on the far right looks like what I think they called an arc lamp. The "new" post officeThis building was replaced by the current post office building shown in street view on the northwest corner of 9th and Chestnut, which was constructed in 1934. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Streetcars)
Feminine Propensities: 1942
... drills, these women employed by Republic Drill & Tool, Chicago, roll the drills down a slight incline to determine regularity of ... weekend warrior/laymen. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2013 - 12:38pm -

August 1942. "Testing small diameter, high-speed twist drills, these women employed by Republic Drill & Tool, Chicago, roll the drills down a slight incline to determine regularity of diameter. It's a job requiring patience and finger dexterity, and these young women possess those definite feminine propensities for just such work." Photo by Ann Rosener, Office of War Information. View full size. Magnifiers?Every woman is wearing glasses. I would assume that these are magnifiers of some kind to help her make quality control judgements. [Safety glasses, to protect their eyes. - Dave] Twist drills?A term used by machinists! Nice. DRILL BIT to the regular weekend warrior/laymen. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, Factories, WW2)
Melrose Park: 1942
Chicago & North Western classification yard, December 1942. The trestle ... by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 11:03pm -

Chicago & North Western classification yard, December 1942. The trestle runs from the ice house to the yard. The old cars in the foreground are used as living quarters for some yard workers and itinerant help. Town of Melrose Park is in background. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
New York Life: 1900
September 11, 1900. "New York Life building, Chicago." The building, at LaSalle and Monroe streets, was completed in 1894, ... to do it to preservation standards. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2017 - 2:28pm -

September 11, 1900. "New York Life building, Chicago." The building, at LaSalle and Monroe streets, was completed in 1894, with major additions in 1898 and 1903. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lasalle and Monroe: 2017Like many other Loop properties, this has been converted to a boutique hotel. The Kimpton Grey Hotel opened in 2016. Look Out for the CurveThat continuous line of hatch covers between the inner rail and the slot as the streetcar track goes around the corner means that this was a "pull curve", the cable car had to hold on to the rope all the way around, and would do so until 1906. Lost CraftsmanshipI'm amazed daily by the amount of masonry craftsmanship used on the upper floors of early buildings like this. Decoration and ornamentation in places or so high they'll never be fully appreciated by those at ground level. Headless horse?There appears to be a headless horse in front of the building. I hope this is not really the case. Cornice-ectomyIt would be a nice, classy gesture if they replaced the original, prominent cornice. I am not, however, holding my breath. [One way they're dealing with cornices in Detroit. -tterrace] "Cornice Danger" prompted removalsNumerous buildings lost pieces or whole sections of their uppermost cornices as age and freeze-thaw took their toll on the materials through the 1920s and 30s. In 1938 the City gave itself the authority to require owners to remove cornices deemed dangerous. This threat was enough that by the 1950s wholesale decapitation of these elements was underway. However, given the successful restorations of several cornices in recent years (like the Marquette building just around the corner on Dearborn) it is surprising that the just performed hotel conversion did not add this historic element back. Probably it was just deemed too expensive, or, if historic tax credits were involved, there wasn't clear enough documentation of the original to cornice to do it to preservation standards. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Deluxe Wash: 1942
November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Washing a locomotive at the coaling station at an Illinois ... Paducah Shops between 1937 and 1943. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/08/2015 - 1:33pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Washing a locomotive at the coaling station at an Illinois Central railyard." Triple Foam and Rain-X, $3 extra. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. A mighty beast.I do remember some steam on rails, only dimly. Much more exiting than diesel. However, I do love the smell of GM diesels having served in the last US diesel/electric submarine in the USN. Mountain type locomotiveThe locomotive appears to be an Illinois Central 4-8-2 Mountain type. The engine number is barely readable on the side of the sandbox atop the boiler; it looks to me like 2504, which would make the engine one of the 2500 Class, rebuilt from older 2-10-2s in IC's Paducah Shops between 1937 and 1943. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Bob & Paul: 1910
... According to a 1912 directory, ticket offices of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R.R., the Chicago & Great Western R.R., the Chicago and Northwestern R.R., the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2017 - 9:46am -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1910. "Robert Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Scarlet Goose"Half the fun of having feet is Red Goose shoes." Not all gone The building with the New York Central Lines office is the Pioneer Endicott, built in 1890, and now houses apartments. FlagpoleThe tower and flagpole just right of center belong to the Ryan Hotel, at 6th and Robert, demolished 1962. +98Below is the same view from September of 2008. Non-clearance CurveThe streetcar turning right into Robert Street is negotiating what is known as a non-clearance curve. If a streetcar on Robert Street heading away from the viewer was present, it would have to wait until the turning car finished its turn before proceeding straight ahead. Most streetcar systems rebuilt intersections to allow clearance for turns. Philadelphia may still have a few of them left in their trolley system. Motorists and pedestrians in cities with streetcars are familiar with the front and rear overhang "swing" of a streetcar turning a corner. Railroad ticket office rowFor some reason, virtually all of the railroad ticket offices in St. Paul were located on the four-block span of North Robert Street that is visible in this photograph. New York Central Lines' office is apparent in the Pioneer Press building on the right. According to a 1912 directory, ticket offices of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R.R., the Chicago & Great Western R.R., the Chicago and Northwestern R.R., the Minneapolis & St. Louis R.R., and the Soo Line R.R. were all in the 300 block of North Robert Street (in the immediate foreground). The ticket office of the Great Northern R.R. was in the 400 block. Ticket offices of the Northern Pacific R.R. and the Burlington Route were in the 500 block. The ticket office of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific R.R. was in the 600 block. (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Streetcars)
Yesterday's Headlines: 1941
... Blast from the Past When I was a high school senior in Chicago I took a print shop class, where we were taught to operate a Linotype ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/12/2018 - 9:30am -

June 1941. "Mr. Cary Williams, editor of the Greensboro Herald Journal, a newspaper in Greensboro, Georgia." Spitting hot lead at an ancient Linotype machine. Note the custom-fitted ergonomic back support and whittled-down chair. Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Amazing technologyIn the late 1970s I was studying graphic design, and our instructor took a group of us to the offices of Sunset Magazine to see a linotype in action. The publication was just weeks away from going computerized, but the operator put on quite a show for us. There's nothing like moving parts to make work seem entertaining. etaoin shrdluI still have-and use regularly-a Linotype machine. Also, the metal is melted and used at around 535 to 545 degrees. Less than that it won't melt properly, and much above that is when you are apt to get squirts. The aroma is uniqueI worked in the office of a hot lead Hearst paper in Baltimore in the '70s. The building’s back stairs included a landing that was open to the pressroom, and the odor of molten lead poured into stairwell. Nothing else smells quite like that. Shorpy brought it all back to me! Printer's DevilThis reminds me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes starring Burgess Meredith as the devil masquerading as a reporter who promises to salvage a failing newspaper in exchange for the editor's soul. LineageI believe Etaoin Shrdlu was Lorem Ipsum's grandpa. ETAOIN SHRDLUA well-known "phrase", but I followed Dave's LMGTFY link, and was surprised not to find the reference that first came to mind -- "Etaoin Shrdlu" is the title of a 1942 short story by Fredric Brown about a sentient Linotype machine. Etaoin shrdluIt had to be said. Huh?Over my head this morning. [Google it. - Dave] ProgressEarlier this week, I ran across a story of an 8 monitor, 18 million pixel custom workstation with a sling chair that is like a modern incarnation of Mr. Williams' rig. Hot LeadvilleIn Saguache, Colorado, there's a newspaper called the Saguache Crescent that is still produced daily on an old linotype machine. Ah, yesterdayIn the 1960s when the Comanche (Texas) Chief was still a hot-type operation, I used to hang out in their print shop, watching Bob Carpenter set type (he was good enough as a reporter AND printman that he would sometimes compose his articles directly on the lino) and Minor Taber and Woody Ormsby run the jobbing presses. If I hit at the right time on Thursday afternoon, I could watch the crew wind up the big rotary press to run the week's edition of the Chief; that was a special treat. A Blast from the PastWhen I was a high school senior in Chicago I took a print shop class, where we were taught to operate a Linotype machine just like this one. It always scared the hell out of me; we were warned that if we mistakenly left an open space in one of the lines of brass keys we were assembling, molten lead at 700 degrees Fahrenheit would "squirt" in our faces. Our machines were old and cranky, and I could rarely type out more than three lines before something would jam. Now I see them on display as museum pieces ... yikes! Spitting LinotypeI have a documentary on the Linotype. (www.linotypefilm.com) Apparently, experienced operators could hear a warning sound to back off quickly to avoid getting hit by a bit of hot lead. I got a chance in the 1960s to see a room full of them at the News Call Bulletin in San Francisco. You don't forget a mechanical wonder like that. Family TraditionCarey Jones Williams, April 6, 1901 - July 9, 1991 Carey (with an "e") later served on the University of Georgia Board of Regents. His son Carey Jr. is the current editor (and owner) of the Greensboro Herald Journal. Not dead yetThere's a movie: http://www.linotypefilm.com and the Linotype is so loved that there are at least two organizations in my immediate area (Waltham and Haverhill, Mass.) with one or two working units: https://www.charlesrivermuseum.org/ https://museumofprinting.org/collection/ I love old, well built, intricate and obsolete machinery. And Real Computers have switches and blinking lights. LinosaursBoth The Printing Museum in Houston and the Baltimore Museum of Industry have full print shops on display, and if you hit 'em on the right days a retired operator (from The Houston Chronicle or Baltimore Sun) will be there to make them sit up and talk for you. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, The Office)
Columbian Caravels: 1905
... and La Rabida (Sanitarium for Children), Jackson Park, Chicago. Replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria that participated ... a while. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2014 - 10:27am -

Circa 1905. "Caravels and La Rabida (Sanitarium for Children), Jackson Park, Chicago. Replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria that participated in the World's Columbian Exposition." Note the hand-propelled trike. Happy Columbus Day from Shorpy! 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Still Going StrongOur son, who is going to medical school volunteers 2 days a week at what is now La Rabida Children's Hospital. It is now a facility for children with lifelong acute conditions requiring extended care. Happy Thanksgiving Dayto my fellow Canadians. Hand-powered trikeMy friend's daughter who's wheelchair-bound has a hand-powered trike, and has competed in a few bike races with it. Hers looks more like a recumbent bicycle, though. Interesting to see they've been around a while. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC)
Five O'Clock Shadows: 1941
July 1941. "Five o'clock crowds, Chicago." Noir in the afternoon. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the ... photo and the print are both beautiful. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2015 - 9:52am -

July 1941. "Five o'clock crowds, Chicago." Noir in the afternoon. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. When a great photo catches my eyeBeautifully photographed, and what a treasure for historians: extreme detail of people, no one fat, most wearing hats, an era of lovely dresses, and people on the move. And in a few months, everything will change. Many of the men will either have disappeared, or will reappear in uniform. We know all this; they don't. I hope it was a good afternoon for them. La Salle Street StationThe site is the entrance to the La Salle Street station on Van Buren Street. There's still a commuter train station there, but no grand edifice, it was demolished in 1981. Reminiscent ofThis photo is somewhat reminiscent of a 1930 print by Australian-American artist, Martin Lewis (1881-1962), called "Shadow Dance". The photo and the print are both beautiful. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
Cotton on the Levee: 1903
... train traveled from New Orleans all the way north to Chicago. This is the route all blues artists and African Americans took to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 2:43pm -

New Orleans circa 1903. "Mule teams and the levee." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Behemoth ShipSecond time this ship has shown up on Shorpy and I still can't place her. She is a massive ship for her time, and much different from the Great Lakes freighters we see here frequently. [It's the SS Proteus. - Dave] CapturedA "Porgy and Bess" moment; you get the feeling that any moment great music will erupt. Or not. Jax BreweryThat looks like the Jax (Jackson) Brewery behind the IC freight car. If so, we are facing upriver. The Jax brewery was converted to shops and restaurants many years ago. It's situated on Decatur street across from Jackson square (Plaza de Armes in Spanish times). A Short 38 YearsThe Civil war had ended only 38 years before. Some of the people in this picture were probably born into slavery. FlotsamI'd love to know the story about the stuff floating in the water at the left edge. SS ProteusThinking of that ship got me poking around to read of it's sinking; found here http://www.divehatteras.com/proteus.html The train that traveled northThe Illinois Central train traveled from New Orleans all the way north to Chicago. This is the route all blues artists and African Americans took to leave the south in droves to better lives up north,where there were jobs in countless factories,and better pay than picking cotton. Jackson BreweryYes, that is indeed the Jackson Brewery, and we are looking uptown toward Canal St. As someone commented on the other picture like this, you can also see St. Patrick's Church steeple off in the distance to the right. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, New Orleans, Railroads)
Stuck Truck: 1921
... It was manufactured by the Walker Vehicle Company of Chicago. Heavy What character vehicles had in that time, I'd imagine ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 9:38pm -

Washington, D.C., 1921. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. ElectricThe poster has a point. There was a Walker electric truck in 1918. Here we are almost a hundred years later and we're working on creating electric trucks again. Truck featuresHow about those solid rubber tires? What do you think the large footlocker shaped box is between the front and rear wheels? Could it be a battery for an electric motor? I don't see any radiator for a gas engine. Check out the aahh-ooo-gah horn by the front seat. Walker ElectricThat is indeed an electric vehicle. It was manufactured by the Walker Vehicle Company of Chicago. HeavyWhat character vehicles had in that time, I'd imagine the front axle alone has enough metal to make a car today. Police Call BoxCheck out the fire/police call box on the pole. I have one dating back to the 1800s. Traffic ReportI am loving this series of vehicular disasters in DC! It beats the accidents I see during my daily commute. Stuck TruckThe "house" window for windshield is very interesting! Riding the Rails?Does it strike anyone else that it looks as though the wheels on this truck were designed to allow it to operate on railroad tracks? The front wheels have a railroad-style flange and the groove in the rear wheels looks it was make to ride on rails as well. [This is a common early truck tire. Solid rubber and tubeless. - Dave] A Really Federal ExpressAmerican Railway Express existed from 1917 to 1929, formed by the nationaization of the express mail services owned by Adams Express, American Express, and Wells Fargo Express. World War I was hard on the fractious US railway system. The successor private company to ARE was Railway Express Agency (REA), owned by the railroad companies. It lasted from 1929 til 1975: a victim of mismanagement, corruption, and more nimble competiton. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Those Were the Days: 1939
... White tires extra The Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. of Chicago introduced the white tire 25 years earlier. Ford first offered a white ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2015 - 10:17pm -

San Francisco, 1939. "General Motors exhibit, Golden Gate International Exposition. Girl sitting on LaSalle auto." The five-passenger touring sedan only $1581, "delivered here." 8x10 inch Agfa acetate negative. View full size. Selfie AlertCheck the bumper! GeeOur old LaSalle ran great! White tires extraThe Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. of Chicago introduced the white tire 25 years earlier. Ford first offered a white tire option in April, 1934, for $11.25, not sure what that would be in today's economy. As a child, it was my job to clean the whitewalls with cleanser and a brillo pad, but rinse them quickly or else you're left with blue & whitewall tires, grandpa wouldn't have that! No thermostat now@ Doubleclutchin - I have worked on new vehicles that do not use a thermostat. The water pump is driven by an electric motor, and is only used when necessary. An engine driven water pump steals horsepower, and doesn't need to flow as much at idle compared to higher RPM. The electric water pump can be turned off and on, and the speed varied according to demands the PCM calculates. It's the penultimate!The LaSalle introduced a new era of automotive styling (1927) and the legendary designer, Harley Earl. 1940 was its last year of production. My Parents' First CarMy parents had one of those as their first car after they married. Somewhere I have a photo of them with it. Mom was often mistaken for Rita Hayworth when they lived in California and looked a lot better on the fender than this woman, even in blue jeans. Dad later gave the LaSalle to his brother who had ten kids. His brother still had it when I came along. But then, they still had everything they'd ever owned. My aunt was not a housekeeper so whenever she and the kids filled up the big old two-story, my uncle would just build her another just like it nextdoor. Cars accummulated the same way around their three houses and the old LaSalle was two abandoned houses over. The last time I saw the LaSalle it was still in one piece, but every horizontal surface had been caved in by ten unruly kids jumping up and down on it. By then, my uncle had moved on to collecting Edsels. I wouldn't be surprised if that LaSalle is still where I last saw it 50 years ago. 2015 LaSalle$1,581 would be $27,000 in today's dollars. Whitewall tiresThose whitewall tires would be a real chore to keep clean. Some tires were white on both sides, supposedly to keep them cooler. Could this event be taking place in the "Cow Palace"? [As the caption says, this was at the Golden Gate International Exposition, aka World's Fair, on Treasure Island. -tterrace] Whitewalls on the inside?Were those tires white on both sidewalls? [Double-sided whitewalls were fairly common until the very early 1940s. -tterrace] No Market NicheSave for the Pontiac, LaSalle was the longest lived of GM's "companion" marques. Often quite stylish and always a bargain, LaSalle lay at an uncomfortable point on the price spectrum, overlapping the most expensive models of Buick and Oldsmobile on the low end and the cheaper series of Cadillacs on the upper. In the end, it was perceived as stealing sales from GM's other marques and axed accordingly. But yes, with its Cadillac flat-head V-8, it ran great indeed! Soft SuspensionThe sagging of the front left of the vehicle alerts us to the softness of the suspension of these big, floating barges. Shutter what?If you look closely, behind the grille of this La Salle you can see the "shutterstats" -- vertical vanes in front of the radiator that opened and closed thermostatically to control air flow. Although slower in operation, it was arguably a better sytem for controlling underhood temperatures than the current practice of thermostically regulating coolant flow. Double sidedAbout those tires: was the practice designed to encourage reversing the tires periodically to even out wear or was it simpler to put the white walls on both sides? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
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